The Disc itself is described as roughly wide, giving it a
surface area two-fifths that of the
Earth, which would make it roughly the size of the
Pacific Ocean. In addition to its flatness, Pratchett gives it another principal geographic feature; Cori Celesti, a mountain that lies at its exact centre and is the point of origin for its standing magical field. Cori Celesti is also the location of Dunmanifestin, the home of many of the Disc's gods and the Discworld analogue of real-world
Greek mythology's
Mount Olympus. The area surrounding Cori Celesti is known as The Hub, a land of high, icebound mountains that serves as an analogue to the real-world
Himalayas, polar regions (since, although the Disc has no poles as such, it is as far as possible from the Disc's edge and thus the sun), and
Scandinavia – the Hublanders share many features with
Vikings.
Polar bears are renamed "Hubland bears", while the Disc's equivalent of the
aurora borealis (described as being produced by the Disc's magical field, rather than by magnetism) is known as the "Aurora Coriolis". The areas closer to the Rim are warmer and tropical, since the Disc's sun passes closer to them in its orbit. At the Rim, a great, encircling waterfall (the Rimfall) sends the Disc's oceans cascading into space. Pratchett is evasive about how the water eventually returns to refill the oceans, only saying, "Arrangements are made." The mist from the plunging waters creates the Rimbow, an eight-colour (the eighth is
octarine) double rainbow consisting both of light and of magic.
Cardinal directions within the Discworld are not given as North, South, East and West, but rather as directions relating to the disc itself:
Hubward (towards the centre),
Rimward (away from the centre) and to a lesser extent,
turnwise (direction of the disc's rotation) and
widdershins (against the direction of the disc's rotation). The drawing on the front cover of
Jingo shows a weathercock fitted with the requisite
H,
R,
T and
W letters. The disc rotates clockwise as seen from above.
Circle Sea The Circle Sea is an almost landlocked body of water approximately halfway between the Hub and the Rim, opening at the turnwise side into the Rim Ocean. The Circle Sea is analogous to the
Mediterranean Sea, in that it is bordered both by countries on the Sto Plains (Europe) and continent of Klatch (Middle East, North Africa). Its principal trading ports are
Ankh-Morpork and
Al Khali and Ephebe on the Rimwards side. The countries around the Circle Sea are
Ankh-Morpork,
Ephebe,
Djelibeybi, Klatch,
Omnia and Tsort. The Circle Sea is the location of
Leshp, an island that occasionally rises to the surface on a cushion of foul-smelling gas, before settling back to the seafloor once more. Leshp's last appearance sparked a near-war between Ankh-Morpork and Klatch in
Jingo.
Unnamed Continent The unnamed continent is the one on which most of the books are set. It is essentially the analogue of Europe, and contains among other things the Sto Plains and Ramtops, as well as the more
Eastern European lands around Überwald.
Sto Plains The Sto Plains are the rough analogue to Western Europe on the Discworld. They are a land of rich black loam, upon which rests a great squat forest of
cabbages. In
Soul Music, a footnote states various facts of the region: • Principal export: Cabbages • Flora: Cabbages • Fauna: Things that eat cabbages and do not mind not having any friends. The cabbage has an almost mythic status among the people of the Sto Plains, and is an emblem of its largest and dominant city,
Ankh-Morpork, which is located near the northeast of the coat of arms. Many young people who leave the farming areas of the Plains for life in the big city would happily never see a cabbage again. Although they have been an empire in the past, the Sto Plains currently exist as a loose collection of independent city-states, ruled over by a close-knit (and probably interrelated) ruling class. The Sto Plains could be thought of as being similar to Germany prior to the unification of the states into the
German Empire, with no overall authority. According to
Mort the area was to be united in the coming decades. As reality was given a
retcon in the book, the Duke who united the Sto Plains was Mort, and he did it by diplomacy rather than conquest.
Ankh-Morpork The principal city of the Sto Plains is
Ankh-Morpork. While it does not exert any political power over its neighbors, its economic domination of the region (summed up by the phrase, "Attack us, and we'll call in your mortgages") has meant that the smaller cities around it are essentially its satellites. Hippos are an important motif of the city, featuring on its coat of arms and in rows of statues along either side of its largest bridge, the Brass Bridge over the River Ankh. This is due to hippopotamuses living on the banks of the river on the site of the city in ancient times prior to the city's establishment.
Pseudopolis Pseudopolis (its name translates to "false city") is first mentioned in the first
Discworld novel,
The Colour of Magic. That novel also refers to Psephopololis, which according to
The Discworld Mapp is the same place. The city is not to be confused with Pseudopolis Yard, the headquarters of the
Ankh-Morpork City Watch (a reference to
Scotland Yard). Pseudopolis possesses a school of magic, Braseneck College (a parody of
Brasenose College, Oxford), which is apparently in competition for prestige with the larger, older
Unseen University in Ankh-Morpork. In fact, the novel
Raising Steam makes clear that this rivalry extends to the city level, as Pseudopolis refuses to accept an Ankh-Morpork-constructed trainline. While the city has been described as a duchy, as of
Unseen Academicals the aristocracy of the city appear to have undertaken an experiment in
representative democracy, much to
Lord Vetinari's amusement. While no
Discworld novels have been set in Pseudopolis, a number of characters have roots there. Eric Thursley lives/lived at 13 Midden Lane (
Faust Eric). Charlie, a man with an extraordinary physical resemblance to Ankh-Morpork Patrician
Havelock Vetinari, ran a clothes shop there (
The Truth).
Nobby Nobbs had an early career as an armourer in one of the Pseudopolis city militias; curiously (and this may be no more than a coincidence, although there may be a connection given Nobby's penchant for nicking and flogging [i.e., stealing and selling] anything not nailed down), Pseudopolis always lost its wars at this period because of an unaccountable shortage of weapons. John Keel, a city watchman, moved from Pseudopolis to Ankh-Morpork and was the mentor of the young
Sam Vimes (
Night Watch).
Quirm Quirm is the location of the Quirm College for Young Ladies (formerly attended by
Susan Sto Helit) and the birthplace of Leonard of Quirm (the Disc's
Leonardo da Vinci). It is a quiet and peaceful town, and for this reason is a popular holiday destination. It is also where Morporkians go when they retire (including
Lord Vetinari's aunt, Lady Roberta Meserole). In this regard, it relates to
Ankh-Morpork as
Eastbourne relates to London, or possibly as Spain relates to the United Kingdom, or even Greece (as a description in
Unseen Academicals describes Quirm as having "strange water", which is the typical stereotype of the Greek water supply). The Quirmian language is occasionally described as similar to French or Spanish, but
Snuff notes that all Quirmians speak perfect Morporkian. Spoken Quirmian in
Making Money, is identical to French. In
Raising Steam, the Marquis des Aix en Pains speaks Morporkian with a French accent. Quirm is famous for its
floral clock: a circle of flowers, each of which opens its petals at a different hour. Quirm is also famous for its (blue-veined) cheese. Quirmian cuisine is generally characterised by
avec (French for "with"). Quirm is a
duchy ruled by the Rodley family. Members of this family include Lord Rodley, an upper-class twit in
Mort, and Brenda Rodley, a swamp dragon-breeding dowager duchess in
Guards! Guards!. In
Sourcery, Quirm was destroyed by wizards in a magic war, but presumably restored by Coin when he put everything back as it had been before the war.
Susan Sto Helit,
Lady Sybil Ramkin and
Miss Perspicacia Tick were educated at the Quirm College for Young Ladies. The school's headmistress and founder is Miss Eulalie Butts (possibly a reference to
Frances Buss). It is explained in
Soul Music that few of the Discworld's higher-class schools (such as the
Ankh-Morpork Assassins' Guild School) will admit female students (although the Assassins have since changed this policy), so Miss Butts founded the College "on the astonishing principle that, since gels had nothing much to do until someone married them, they might as well occupy the time with learning things." The school resembles a traditional English independent girls' school, with an academic curriculum and heavy emphasis on respectable and decent behaviour. Students at the school do not seem to be preparing for any particular profession. Susan Sto Helit describes it as "an education in, well, education" (
Hogfather). It appears that those students who do not marry upon leaving school generally go into the teaching profession themselves, or become
governesses.
Sto Lat Sto Lat, ruled by
Queen Kelirehenna, is located about from Ankh-Morpork. According to the books, Sto Lat is a sizable walled town in the Sto Plains, although eclipsed enormously both in size and influence by the neighbouring city of
Ankh-Morpork. Sto Lat is the nearest major city to
Ankh-Morpork (approximately a half
day's journey by horse, less if the horse is Boris from
Going Postal) and to which it is connected by two clacks towers. It encompasses a large boulder emerging out of the Sto Plains like 'a geological pimple', left there by the retreating Ice Giants. The castle is built into this rock. Its most recent king before the present monarch was King Olerve, who was shot with a crossbow by an assassin hired by the original Duke of Sto Helit, a thoroughly nasty man who staged a bid for the succession, thwarted only by
Mort in
Mort. At the end of
Mort, Princess Keli became Queen. Politically, Sto Lat is the capital of a kingdom ruled by Queen Kelirehenna, which includes Sto Helit, Sto Kerrig, and the Eight Protectorates. Her authority is exercised through a Mayor, with parasol trader Joe Camels holding the position in
Going Postal. The kingdom was one of the first places outside Ankh-Morpork
to adopt its own
stampings for the
post.
Astolat is a legendary location in
Arthurian mythology, and
Sto lat is also a traditional
Polish song equivalent to
Happy Birthday to You (
sto lat literally means "hundred years"). Sto Helit is a duchy within Sto Lat, which was given to
Mort in
Mort, after he saved Queen Kelirehenna and the previous Duke died (due to his lifetimer being destroyed during a duel between Mort and Death). Following his death in
Soul Music, his daughter,
Susan, succeeded him to become the Duchess of Sto Helit. Having pursued a career in education, serving as a governess in
Hogfather and a teacher as of
Thief of Time, her status as Duchess of Sto Helit has led to some awkwardness with her employers. Being the adoptive granddaughter of Death, she has "inherited" some of his supernatural abilities (such as imperception by other and passing through solid matter) and had once fulfilled his role in his absence.
Ramtops The Ramtops are the Discworld's principal mountain range. Across their vast extent, from the Hub to the Rim, they incorporate elements from virtually every noted mountain range of Earth, from the
Scottish Highlands (Lancre) to the
Himalayas (the High Tops) to
Appalachia (Slice). They are the Disc's main magical conduit, as they lie like a metal rod across the centre of the Disc's magical field (indeed, the source of the field, the Cori Celesti, is technically part of the Ramtops), and are thus alive with unreality. Portals to various otherworlds dot the range's hidden crevices; "
gnarly ground" compresses vast areas of land into tiny patches, and where witches, wizards, and godlike monks alike practice their arts. Kingdoms in the Ramtops tend to be small, isolated, and sparsely populated. Much of the economy is agrarian and communities largely consist of loosely affiliated groups of self-sufficient farms. The Ramtops are known for their harsh winters; snow drifts can rise up to during the worst storms. "Ramtoppers have
18 words for snow," Pratchett says, "
none of them printable." Pratchett mentioned that the name of the Ramtops comes from
RAMTOP (i.e. top of
RAM, or random-access memory), a system variable in the
ZX Spectrum computer.
Lancre Lancre is situated in the
Ramtop mountains, about Hubwards of the city of
Ankh-Morpork. It is the best-known of hundreds of tiny countries in the Ramtops, occupying a vertiginous shelf looking over the
Sto Plains. Lancre is based on rural southern England. In an article in
Folklore entitled, 'Imaginary Worlds, Real Stories,' Pratchett writes, "the kingdom of Lancre [...] I suspect is a somewhat idealised version of the little fold in the
Chiltern Hills where I grew up, stirred in with the western area of
the Mendips where I spent a great deal of my adult life." Pratchett described the tiny country as "solid
folklore"; it is the place all the
legends of Earth's countryside
really happened. Ankh-Morpork serves a similar function for urban folklore, but not as blatantly. The name seems to echo
Lancashire (with the inhabitants called
Lancrastians) and the associated
witch trials in
Pendle there in the seventeenth century. Part of the reason for Lancre's mystical quality is that the Ramtops are a major earthing point for the Discworld's magical field. Lancre is famous for
witches, especially since the publication of
The Joye of Snackes, an erotic cookbook by "A Lancre Witch", i.e.
Nanny Ogg. Lancre is also famous for its young people going off and seeking their fortunes, usually in Ankh-Morpork. Lancre is also the physical location for (possibly two) independent gateways to a "parasite universe" inhabited by
Elves. Most maps show Lancre as roughly , its true area remains unknown – partly because of its mountainous terrain and the fact that it borders on the Ramtops, but also due to the warping effect of high level of background magic. Geography in parts of Lancre can take on additional properties that exist either outside, or in addition to, the conventional geographic dimensions. These areas include the Lancre moors, where reality can become folded into deep troughs and ridges known as "gnarly ground". The effect, as mentioned in
The Discworld Companion is that Lancre contains more landscape than a kingdom of its apparent size should be able to contain (a similar magical effect occurs in the
Unseen University Library, which has a diameter of 100 yards, but an infinite radius). "Gnarly ground" can be detected by those with magical senses, or those with keen eyesight who observe how clouds and shadows appear to fracture as they pass across it. Flying over such areas is not for the faint-hearted and walking across it can be fraught with peril. Similarly, Lancre contains areas where the landscape echoes the state of mind of those who pass through, leading confident travellers to find babbling brooks while, in the same place at the same time, disheartened travellers find deep valleys and raging mountain torrents. In times past, Elven incursions were common. Both gateways have been sealed from the Lancre side by standing stones made from thunderbolt iron, a
meteoric ore which is one of the few sources of magnetism on the Disc; humans, but not Elves (except in exceptional circumstances), may pass through them. The capital of Lancre is Lancre Town, slightly bigger than the other villages, and containing Lancre Castle. Bad Ass is the home of
Granny Weatherwax. It got its name when a donkey, carrying the supplies of a group of settlers, stopped on a ford and refused to move, forcing them to build their town there. The valley occupied by Bad Ass overlooks a panorama of lesser mountains and foothills. From there, one can see to the edge of the world. In the long winter snows, the roads out of the village are lined with boards to reduce drifting and to stop travellers from straying. A narrow bridge over a stream leads to the village smithy, birthplace of
Eskarina Smith.
Hublands The lands around the Hub, also called the High Tops, are icy, mountainous and cold. They are also the areas closest to the Cori Celesti, and so are crackling with magic. They are roughly equivalent to Earth's
Himalayas, being home to Yeti and various
Buddhist-style monastic orders, such as the
History Monks, which give the area the nickname "Enlightenment Country". The Hublands are also the closest thing the Disc has to a pole, and so are home to its equivalent of
polar bears and
walruses, mentioned in
The Last Hero.
Überwald Überwald () is a region located near the foot of the
Ramtops, farther from
Ankh-Morpork than
Lancre is. Its name is German for "
over the woods", a play on
Transylvania (which is
Latin for "
across the woods" - a name actually used for Transylvania in some 13th century writings). The region is based less on the real Eastern Europe, and more on the
Hammer Horror stereotype of the area. In keeping with the Discworld's affinity for
narrative, Überwald's climate and conditions contrive to fulfill human expectations: for example, Überwaldian thunderclaps occur whenever someone makes a particularly forceful pronouncement. In
The Truth this phenomenon is referred to as "
psychotropic weather". The spelling of the German-language word is certainly "
Überwald". The usage in some of the books is uneven, but the later narratives use "
Uberwald" exclusively. In
Carpe Jugulum, Pratchett writes: The region was previously united under the rule of the Unholy Empire (a play on the
Holy Roman Empire), which had a two-headed bat as its symbol (a play on the
double headed eagle). The Empire has long since collapsed leaving the area fragmented, chaotic, and under the rule of lore, not law. Although Überwald has a large human population, they play a secondary role in the region's history. It is ruled by dwarfs,
vampires, and
werewolves. Sergeant (later Captain)
Angua of the Ankh-Morpork City Watch is from an old aristocratic family of Überwald werewolves. While there are indeed a number of
human barons, they all tend to be uninterested in politics, preferring instead to dabble in experimental surgery and "
Meddling In Things Man Was Not Meant To Wot Of," each with the help of their personal Igors. From the 'Diet of Bugs' (a play on the
Diet of Worms) onwards garlic and silver were considered
contraband across Überwald until the events of
The Fifth Elephant; the undead simply promised they would not be needed. Apparently this system left something to be desired. However, following interference by werewolves in the coronation of the Low King of the Dwarfs, dwarfish restrictions on silver mining were lifted. Überwald's economy is apparently based on mining. Though precious metals are plentiful, the most crucial mineral resource is fat, which is believed to have been deposited by a fifth great Discworld-bearing elephant, which was dislodged from the back of
Great A'Tuin and crashed into the ground around Überwald. Boiling fat rising to the surface is the reason for the country's many
hot springs. Überwald effectively comprises two utterly distinct societies; the dwarfs (who exist below in their cavernous cities and tunnels), and everybody else, who lives above on the surface. By tradition, the laws of the surface people do not apply underground, and vice versa. Überwaldian dwarfs are far more hidebound and traditional than their cousins near the Sto Plains, which has led to a certain culture clash between the two (cf.
marching season). Überwald is the centre of Dwarfish history and politics; the Low King, the final arbiter of Dwarfish law, has his seat of power in the underground Überwald city of Schmaltzberg (literally "mountain of fat"; a double or even triple play on the Austrian town of
Salzburg:
Schmaltz means lard or fat in German, but can also mean 'excessive sentimentality'). Koom Valley is a location somewhere in Überwald. Hundreds of years ago, the trolls and the dwarfs met in a battle at Koom Valley in which each side apparently ambushed the other. Nowadays, dwarfs celebrate the Battle of Koom Valley Day, on the same day that trolls celebrate Troll New Year. Sometimes, in a city where both dwarfs and trolls live (e.g.
Ankh-Morpork), the two groups are careful enough to plan their celebratory marches so that they are on the same street. Some people (e.g.
Susan Sto Helit), after carefully studying history books, point out that the Battle of Koom Valley seemed to have been repeated several times. The name comes from the Welsh word
cwm, which means "valley". In
Unseen Academicals, it is suggested that Uberwald is developing and moving closer to Ankh-Morpork thanks to the vampire Lady Margalotta. It also suggests that the Emperor of Uberwald was an evil sorcerer, who created orcs, some of whom survived up to the present, giving rise to Mr. Nutt.
Borogravia Borogravia is located Rimwards of
Überwald, on the Discworld's unnamed main continent. The capital city is PrinceMarmadukePiotreAlbertHansJosephBernhardtWilhelmsberg. Borogravia is a
Duchy, and as such is ruled by a Duke or Duchess. The ruler at the time of
Monstrous Regiment was Duchess Annagovia, who has achieved virtual godhood among the people. Borogravia is an extremely backward and reactionary nation, whose laws are defined by their god Nuggan. Nuggan dictates "abominations", which are things that have been banned by him, to his worshippers via the
Book of Nuggan, a "living testament" in which new "abominations" appear "religiously" from Nuggan, with the necessity of adding fresh pages making it the only holy book to be kept in a
ring binder. These enforcements can be very impractical and inconvenient, such as banning chocolate, Borogravia's main export; depictions of living things (apart from the Duchess); babies (this law is usually overlooked); crop rotation; and any means of airborne communications (namely semaphore and carrier pigeon). The banning of semaphore led to the Borogravians cutting down the clacks towers along the Zlobenian border, which was one of the main causes of war between the two nations (with intermittent conflict going on for so long that no-one can remember why it is actually happening), and the reason for Ankh-Morporkian diplomatic intervention. Perhaps the most militarily aggressive nation on the Disc, Borogravia is known for invading its neighbours and fighting wars (in
Night Watch, it is mentioned in passing that Borogravia has invaded Mouldavia), with the army being regarded as the only effective branch of government. However, it struggles to keep up with this demand because of its crippled economy (caused by highly inconvenient "abominations"), and as a result of fighting the country is seriously short of young men, so much that a proportion of its soldiers are in fact women in disguise (see
Monstrous Regiment). At the beginning of the novel, aspects of modern society such as police services and newspapers are alien concepts to Borogravians, with Nugganatic laws being enforced by 'citizen's committees', and the government being the sole disseminator of information to the public. The Borogravian national currency is the crown, whose subunits include shillings, sixpences and pennies.
Zlobenia Zlobenia, a pun on
Slovenia, with its capital Rigour, a pun on
Riga, is a
principality ruled by Prince Heinrich, who is described as tall, handsome, and smug. It has fought numerous wars with Borogravia, usually
territorial disputes over the River Kneck, which forms the border between the two nations and frequently changes its course after flooding. Worship of Nuggan was banned in Zlobenia without much objection. Zlobenia's soldiers wear blue uniforms. Borogravians call Zlobenians '
swede eaters'. Heinrich has visions of making Zlobenia "the
Ankh-Morpork of the mountains", much to the amusement of
Samuel Vimes. Heinrich is also heir to the Borogravian throne after the death of the Duchess Annagovia. In
Monstrous Regiment he declares war against Borogravia to assert his claim.
Chalk The Chalk is an area of rolling
chalk downland near
Lancre, bearing a great resemblance to Pratchett's native
Wiltshire. The "soft" geology of the area is, according to some mountain witches, not conducive to the channelling of magic. In fact this is a misconception (the bones of the hills are
flint), and powerful witches can and do reside there, although the local baron has outlawed witchcraft, meaning they do not identify themselves as such. This law has since been repealed or at least ignored by the new baron since
Tiffany Aching began openly practising magic there.
Llamedos Llamedos is a land noted for its
druids, its
bards, and its rain. Rain is the chief export of Llamedos; it has rain mines, in addition to
ore and
coal mines. Holly is the one plant that can grow in Llamedos's climate; everything else just rots. Llamedos is run by druids, who dot the land with stone circles used for computation. This is a lifetime job, since they frequently need upgrading. Llamedos is a fairly obvious parody of the British constituent country
Wales. Its annual bardic competition, the
Eisteddfod, is still held in Wales. The name is a reference to
Dylan Thomas's radio play "
Under Milk Wood", for which he created the fictitious Welsh town of
Llareggub ("bugger all" spelled backwards); Llamedos, accordingly, is "Sod 'em all" spelled backwards. The inhabitants tend to speak with a doubled-L accent, i.e. "Llots of lluck!" Its native son
Imp Y Celyn changes the course of the Discworld's musical history in
Soul Music.
Octarine Grass Country The
Octarine Grass Country is an area of rich farmland which, thanks to its proximity to the Ramtops, also happens to be saturated with magic. So saturated, in fact, that it is possible to grow re-annual crops: crops that germinate and grow the spring before they are planted. This is the homeland of
Mort. The Octarine Grass Country predominantly features in
Reaper Man, where
Death goes to work under the name Bill Door.
Genua The most notable region beyond the Sto Plains is the small city of Genua, a Morporkian-speaking nation that bears some resemblance to
New Orleans. Its most significant appearance in the books is in
Witches Abroad. It is in an area called the Swamplands, some distance from the
Sto Plains/
Ramtops locations of most of the books. The name Genua is probably based on
Genoa, a city in
Italy. However, Genua bears a striking resemblance to the French and
Caribbean-influenced American South, especially
New Orleans. Local transport is by
cattle- or troll-powered paddleboats with onboard gambling. The local witch,
Erzulie Gogol, is a
Voodoo mambo complete with personal
zombie (in her case, that of the former ruler of the principality,
Baron Saturday, who himself shares a name with a famous Voodoo god) and the local food is essentially
Cajun cuisine, including
gumbo. During the events of
Witches Abroad the city was ruled by an evil
fairy godmother,
Lily Weatherwax, (sister of
Lancre witch
Esme Weatherwax) though she went by the name Lilith de Tempscire (a French
calque of "weather"+"wax"). She was obsessed with
fairy tales and thought she could force everyone to be happy if only she could get them to follow the logic of the "happy ending." Under her rule, innkeepers who were not fat and jolly or inclined to tell jokes were sent to the dungeon, and Genua's ruler, the Baron Saturday, was murdered so that his heir apparent,
Ella, could be a neglected orphan, as the tales dictated. Soon, the city began to resemble a skewed version of
Disneyland. The name "Genua" therefore could also be an ironic echo of "genuine", which is exactly what Genua, at this time, was not. Eventually, thanks to the efforts of the
Lancre Coven, Lily was deposed and sent to a dimension of endless mirrors, and Ella was able to assume her role as Baroness of Genua without marrying a frog as Lily had intended. Genua first gained power under
Tacticus, a former general of the Morporkian Empire who was invited to become King of Genua after the previous royal family died out due to interbreeding (with the last king having attempted to continue his line with himself). After evaluating which nation posed the greatest threat to his new kingdom, Tacticus proceeded to declare war on Ankh-Morpork. Tacticus' influence on Genua may explain its use of Morporkian as its main language and greater cultural similarities with Ankh-Morpork and the Sto Plains instead of with Überwald and Muntab. According to the novel
Going Postal, Genua is located approximately from
Ankh-Morpork by road, a journey of two months by
stagecoach. A faster method is to travel by flying
broomstick, whereby the city can be reached in a single day, though this may involve losing one's ears or freezing to death.
Klatch The continent of Klatch consists of that part of the Discworld's super continent that is rimwards of the Circle Sea. Like the distinction between Europe and Asia, the difference between Klatch and the unnamed continent that
Ankh-Morpork stands upon is arbitrary and cultural rather than geographically evident. The continent includes the Circle Sea states of
Ephebe, Tsort,
Djelibeybi, Omnia, and the more rimwards territories of Howondaland, Tezumen Empire, Betrek, Smale, Klatchistan, and Muntab. It can be thought of as roughly equivalent to Africa. In the words of Terry Pratchett: "Not loosely based on Africa at all. Honestly." The continent's principal nation, also called Klatch, is a large multi-ethnic empire rimwards to turnwise of the
Circle Sea. It resembles medieval
Arabic states, and has a political system similar to the
Ottoman Empire. Its capital is Al Khali (popularly known as 'the Gateway to the mysterious continent of Klatch'), and it includes outlying regions such as
Hersheba and Syrrit. Klatch is a commercial rival of
Ankh-Morpork – the book
Jingo depicts a brief war between the two mainly on economic land ownership grounds. It is also a common metaphorical boundary for anything considered genuinely "foreign", despite other areas of similar distance not being considered as such. There is some cultural mistrust between the
Sto Plains and Klatch, as evidenced by the phrase
"Pardon my Klatchian" upon speaking a rude word. Despite the tendency of Morporkians to see Klatchians as savages,
Jingo makes clear that Klatchians are technologically and scientifically advanced. It is said that the Klatchians had 15 distinct words for assassination before the rest of the world had caught on to the idea of hitting each other with rocks. This situation parallels that which existed between Europe and the Arab world throughout the
Middle Ages. The ruler of Klatch is called the Seriph (perhaps a play on
caliph,
sherif/sharif,
seraph and
serif). In
Sourcery, the Seriph was
Creosote, a rather vain and foolish man who was obsessed with poetry. A genie reportedly granted a great fortune to his grandfather, which was more or less squandered by modern times. It is unknown whether Creosote is still Seriph; the Prince Cadram and Prince Khufurah appeared in
Jingo, but it is unknown whether they are relatives of Creosote. The "Klatchian Foreign Legion" parodies
French military activities in North Africa. The name is probably a play on "
coffee klatsch"; a recognition of its most famous export, Klatchian coffee. The principal deity of Klatch is Offler, a
crocodile-headed god. Al Khali has been described by
Rincewind as "like
Ankh, only with sand instead of mud". It is bisected by the Tsort River. The city is noted for its wind, which blows from the vast deserts of Klatch, and has been described as "a gentle but persistent breeze". Notable features of the city include • The Rhoxie: The Seriph of al Khali's resplendent palace, in the centre of the city. Surrounded by an artificial paradise, it contains the Seriph's harem and courtiers. However, it was heavily damaged during the events of
Sourcery, and it is unknown whether it was repaired. However it was mentioned in
Pyramids as being "down the coast". • The
soak (a play on
souk): A bazaar highly spoken of by
Cohen the Barbarian. A series of alleys, frequented by the criminal underclass. • The Temple Frescoes: Famous frescoes of people involved in sexual acts. Tours leave hourly from the Square of 967 Delights (Khalians are meticulous about things that interest them). Klatchian coffee is a strong, nearly magical coffee, brewed in Klatch and drunk only by the initiated in very small cups. Presumably an exaggerated version of
Turkish coffee, Klatchian coffee has a strong sobering effect, bringing the drinker "to the other side of sobriety". This state of sobriety is referred to as knurd ("drunk" spelled backwards; compare the entry in the
Jargon File). To be
knurdish is described as the opposite of being drunk: Not sobriety – the mere absence of drunkenness – but just as far away from sobriety in the opposite direction, resulting in an appalling existential clarity. According to
Sourcery, being knurd strips away all the comforting illusions in which people usually spend their lives, letting them see and think clearly for the first time. This is a very traumatic experience, although it is noted that it sometimes leads to important discoveries. To counteract the effects of Klatchian coffee, in Klatch it is drunk with Orakh (a very violent alcoholic beverage made by mixing scorpion venom and
cactus sap and fermenting it in the sun for several weeks), possibly referring to Italian "espresso" coffee which is often drunk with "grappa", a very strong, often homemade, alcohol (although the name "Orakh" is presumably a reference to
arak). After a few screams, a lie down and a stiff drink, the occasional drinker will try never to be "knurd" again. Although knurdness is a state usually only obtainable by drinking Klatchian coffee,
Samuel Vimes, one of the Discworld's most notable characters, is described in
Guards! Guards! as being naturally two drinks short of actual sobriety. This makes him slightly knurd by default, which partially accounts for his depressive nature and tendency towards alcoholism—he started out looking for a cure to knurdness. Once he starts drinking, however, he cannot stop and always gets the dosage wrong.
Ephebe Ephebe is largely the Discworld analogue of
Athenian Greece. However, it also takes influences from
Alexandria and
Minos; the name is an Anglicisation of the Greek concept of
ephebos. Ephebe lies on the hubwards shores of the
Circle Sea on the
Klatchian continent, widdershins of the Klatchian Empire,
Tsort and
Djelibeybi and turnwise of Omnia. Ephebe has only been visited twice in the novels, in
Pyramids and
Small Gods. However, we know from
Eric that in its early history, it fought a series of damaging wars against Tsort, with which it remains in a cold-war situation to this day. The disappearance of the Djel River valley in
Pyramids briefly sparked a resumption of hostilities, which mostly involved highly reluctant soldiers hiding in wooden horses, waiting for the other side to take them into the city. This was quickly ended by the Djel's abrupt reappearance. In
Small Gods, it was briefly invaded by Omnia; however, this occupation quickly collapsed and Ephebe launched a decisive counter-strike in alliance with the other nations along the Klatchian coast. The country was heavily affected by the first temporal shattering mentioned in
Thief of Time, as a result of which the philosophers living there appear extraordinarily long-lived. Ephebe has a population of about 50,000, according to
The Discworld Companion. Much of this population is made up of slaves, who have steadfastly refused any efforts to give them more rights; they are quite happy with their guaranteed income and safety as slaves (and the possibility of owning slaves of their own). As a democracy, Ephebe is unusual on the Discworld. Those citizens who are not disqualified on account of being foreigners, mad, poor or female elect a Tyrant to run the city, who invariably turns out to be a criminal madman. They then elect another Tyrant, who is much the same. At the time of
Small Gods (the position of which in the Discworld chronology is somewhat obscure), Ephebe was ruled by a small, fat man with skinny legs, who resembled an egg hatching upside-down. It is unknown whether he is still ruler. According to
The Discworld Companion, it does not have an economy. The people are perfectly happy living off the fish and olives farmed by the slaves, or the way Teppic described it in
Pyramids, they made wine of everything they could stuff in a bucket and ate whatever couldn't crawl out of one, which gives time for Ephebe's major export: philosophy. For what it's worth (about one
Ankh-Morpork penny), the currency of Ephebe is the
talent. Ephebe is a city of philosophers; some hardware merchants have taken to stocking towels, in case of clothing-challenged brilliant thinkers (an allusion to
Archimedes' "Eureka!"). The philosophers are noted for pondering the existence of gods, but carefully in case the gods get angry. Brawls between varying philosophical factions frequently erupt across Ephebe's many taverns, but Ephebe is on the whole a peaceful city, which
ambles by from day to day (
The New Discworld Companion). One of the philosophers Teppic met in Ephebe was instrumental in the building of a
lighthouse. The proposed location for the lighthouse was deemed to be disruptive to the view of the
harbour and so it was placed some distance inland. Sailors who find themselves stranded on the rocks of the harbour have considered the lighthouse a quite beautiful thing to look at whilst waiting to be rescued.
Djelibeybi Djelibeybi is based on the cultures of
Ancient Egypt. Also called the Kingdom of the Sun and the Old Kingdom. Principal crops: melons, garlic and, since they are increasingly encroaching on the fertile agricultural land, pyramids. The name "Djelibeybi" is a pun lost on most people outside the UK, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand, playing on "
Jelly baby", a popular
gummi sweet in those countries. The joke is compounded when Pratchett says that "Djelibeybi" means "Child of the Djel" (its main river; the line is a parody of
Herodotus's famous claim that
Egypt was the "gift of the
Nile"). Djelibeybi is wide and long and is on the
Circle Sea coast of
Klatch. The ancient country of Ur lies Rimward of it. The kingdom is almost entirely underwater during the flood season, and both threatened and protected on either side by stronger neighbours (
Tsort and
Ephebe). It was once great, but all that now remains is an expensive palace, a few ruins and pyramids. The entire economic life of the country is, until after the events of
Pyramids, devoted to building them. As a result, Djelibeybi is permanently bankrupt. The country has an enormous number of local gods, unknown to the world outside. Its ruler, the
Pharaoh, is also a god, although in human form. He wears a gold mask (the Face of the Sun) and during his official functions carries the Flail of Mercy, the obsidian Reaping Hook of Justice, the Honeycomb of Increase, the Asp of Wisdom, the Sheaf of Plenty, the Gourd of the Water of the Heavens, the Three-Pronged Spear of the Waters of the Earth, the Cabbage of the Vegetative Increase and the Scapula of Hygiene. However, the then Pharaoh Pteppicymon XXVIII, also known as Pteppic, discovered that the mask was in fact gilded lead, the original gold one having likely been sold to pay for the pyramids. Following the events of
Pyramids, Djelibeybi has been ruled by Ptraci I, the half-sister of Pteppicymon XXVIII and a former handmaiden.
Tsort Tsort: A mythical place (no books are set there, with the possible exception of the events portrayed in
Faust Eric where Rincewind and Eric Thursley appear briefly), the Disc's analogue to ancient
Troy. Its enmity with Ephebe began with the famous
Tsortean War, when King Mausoleum of Tsort kidnapped
Queen Eleneor of Ephebe, leading to a siege that lasted for decades. To this day Tsort and Ephebe believe there is a place for giant wooden horses in combat. Tsort possesses a Great Pyramid, although pyramid-building has long been out of fashion and – no doubt because of the example of nearby Djelibeybi – modern Tsorteans scorn the things. Tradition claims Tsort was razed by the armies of Ephebe under
Lavaeolus, and that it was home to the famed
Tsortean Knot until the Knot was undone – sliced in half – by Carelinus. The people of Tsort worship all manner of gods, some of which seem to comprise all the bits the other gods had left over. The river Tsort bisects the desert rimwards of
Al Khali.
Omnia Omnia is a desert
theocracy ruled by the Cenobiarch, the head of the Omnian Church, from the Citadel in the capital city of Kom (a sort of cross between
Qum,
Jerusalem and the
Vatican). There is also a connection to the Latin word 'Omnis', meaning all or everything, ironic due to the nation's unipolar outlook. When Omnianism was an intolerant religion it was known for its
imperialism, having conquered the neighbouring countries of Betrek, Istanzia and Ushistan in the name of the Great God Om. After Brutha became the Cenobiarch, the country reversed directions and became the home of a renowned theological college and library. These days it is known for the constant arguing amongst the clergy, as new interpretations of Brutha's teachings spring up every day. The currency of Omnia is the
obol. In
The Truth, it was mentioned that Omnia (or possibly the Agatean Empire) developed movable type printing in the production of religious texts.
Deepest Klatch Howondaland is the Discworld's principal "jungle" region. It lies on the Klatchian continent, and is the Disc's rough analogue to
Sub-Saharan Africa, although the Tezumen Empire gives it
Mesoamerican overtones as well. Howondaland is not so much a country as a blank patch on the map. Just as "darkest Africa" remained largely unexplored by Europeans until the 19th century, "darkest Klatch" is largely unknown to most Discworlders. Exploration of the land has been hampered by the habit of explorers ending up nailed to trees. Its name is probably a play on
Gondwanaland or perhaps a play on the expression "How on earth ...?" transformed into "How on the land... ?" There is also an echo of Lewis Carroll's "Wonderland" in the name. In some of the early Discworld novels (American publications) it is spelled "Howonderland." In
Snuff, it was discovered that inexpensive tobacco for consumption in Ankh-Morpork was produced on Howondaland plantations, using slave labour by goblins transported from the Shires. The Great Nef is a vast desert on the Klatchian continent, noted mainly for containing the Dehydrated Ocean, an ocean consisting of dehydrated water. Dehydrated water is a peculiar substance found only in areas of high magical concentration. It resembles fine sand, but can be reconstituted into normal water by adding water. The Dehydrated Ocean is home to its own, unique, kinds of fish. The name "Nef" is a reversal of
fen, a type of wetland; "Great Nef" in particular may be a reference to the Great Fen, an historical wetland area in England in the area now known as The
Fens and the subject of a restoration effort known as the
Great Fen Project. Only briefly mentioned in the books, Hersheba is a small desert kingdom rimwards of Klatchian empire, practically on the more-or-less vague boundary of Howondaland. The country is said to be ruled by a queen who lives forever (probably a reference to
H. Rider Haggard's
She). The nomadic tribes known as the D'regs occupy areas of Hersheba as well as Klatch. Depredations against Klatch by Hersheban
D'regs, against Hersheba by Klatchian D'regs, and against both sides by their own D'regs has led to the border being in a permanent state of war. The name is a play on
Hershey bar and also resembles Israeli
Beersheba; Pratchett initially suggested it as an alternative name for
Djelibeybi, to aid American readers mystified by the pun. Very little is known about the
Theocracy of Muntab. Its ruler is known as a Pash (
Lu-Tze, the
History Monk, once had to make sure one of them choked on a fishbone). It is often used as a generic third-world country, as in "Eat your dinner, there are starving children in Muntab who'd be glad to have that!" It is more or less on the border between the continent of Klatch and the Unnamed Continent, and is located more or less rimwards of
Borogravia. Muntab is known to be eager to emerge as a dominant nation in the modern world, and is suspected to have ambitions to conquer the hubward nations, most notably Borogravia. As a result, it figures into the famous political problem, the Muntab Question – most often quoted as "Where's Muntab?", but in serious political discussion is more likely to concern the sides on which the more developed nations would fall in a war between Muntab and Borogravia. Muntab is very likely one of the nations in the Alliance that Borogravia is fighting in the novel
Monstrous Regiment. Nothing is known of Istanzia, although it is a state big enough to send an Ambassador to Ankh-Morpork for Commander Vimes to frighten: when in
The Fifth Elephant the Istanzian forces were reported to be making repeated armed incursions across the Slipnir River, Vimes's offer to arrange for the Istanzian Ambassador to "...go home in an ambulance" resulted in the Istanzian forces pulling back so far that they were "...nearly in the next country." At some point, Istanzia was controlled by Omnia (
Small Gods), but it can be assumed they have gained personal jurisdiction. The Tezumen Empire is a jungle civilisation in the darkest depths of Howondaland that resembles the
Aztecs. They are renowned as the most pessimistic and angst-ridden culture on the Disc; their writing is engraved on giant slabs of stone rather than more conveniently written on paper. Large discs of precisely-carved stone with holes in the middle are used for almost every imaginable purpose except making wheels, a technology which they have not yet discovered. Before the events in
Eric, they worshiped the "feathered boa" Quezovercoatl, a parody of the
Mesoamerican deity
Quetzalcoatl, who was a junior demon who supplanted the previous Tezumen god, a stick; after manifesting himself to his worshippers, he was revealed to be only six inches high. The Tezumens have since tired of gods and killed all their priests.
Counterweight Continent The Counterweight Continent is situated on the opposite edge of the Discworld from the Unnamed Continent and Klatch. It is smaller than these other two landmasses but acts as a counterweight because its crust is made up largely of gold and
octiron, both dense, heavy metals. It is (roughly) comma-esque in shape, and the tip of the comma extends all the way up to the
ice cap at the Hub. Its closest point to the Unnamed Continent is about away but, as the channel is under an ice cap, it is often referred to as an
isthmus. The cultures of the Counterweight Continent are a play upon those of Earth's Far East, or at least Western perceptions of it. In a pun on
the Orient, it is also known as the Aurient, from the Latatian (Latin) word 'aurum' (gold), meaning 'the place where gold comes from'. The Agatean Empire is the home of
Twoflower and
the Luggage. The country was first mentioned in the very first Discworld novel
The Colour of Magic, but was not explored: its main role was as the place from which Twoflower had come. It appeared in a brief segment of
Mort, and was the setting for most of
Interesting Times. The Agatean Empire is similar to
feudal Japan or
Imperial China, most obviously in the vast wall that surrounds it, and the belief that anyone from outside the Empire must be an invisible vampire ghost (probably a play on
gwailo, lit. ghost man). The name is a pun on the term "Jade Empire," referring to ancient China. The capital of the Empire is Hunghung and the biggest port (and only one mentioned) is Bes Pelargic. However, in
Mort, Bes Pelargic was depicted as the Agatean capital, as Mort travelled there for the death of the Grand Vizier Nine Turning Mirrors. The crust of the Agatean Empire is composed largely of gold,
octiron and other heavy metals. Exchange rates between the Ankh-Morpork dollar and the Empire's currency, the rhinu, has never been established because the solid gold coins are worth significantly less on the Counterweight Continent than on the
Sto Plains. Because of the readily-availability of gold, the Counterweight Continent is comparable to the Roundworld's African
Mali Empire. Gold is such a ubiquitous metal in the Agatean Empire that it has taken on the role of lead as a material for roofing and plumbing; gold is only used for small denominations of the rhinu, whilst larger denominations such as ten rhinu are issued in the form of paper notes. Large amounts of
octiron make Agatean Empire home of the rare
sapient pear trees. The wood of this tree is used to build
luggages. The Empire was founded thousands of years ago by the Emperor One Sun Mirror. Until fairly recently, it was ruled by a number of constantly fighting and somewhat psychotic noble families (the Hongs, the Sungs, the Fangs, the Tangs and the McSweeneys), all jockeying to be emperor. They viewed politics as similar to
chess; the goal was to put one's opponent in an untenable position, and the best way to do that was to take as many opposing pieces as possible through the sacrifice of pawns. As in feudal Japan (and later the
Empire of Japan), the Emperor was seen as a god, and could do anything he liked. Given how nastily inventive a noble had to be to get to this point, this was not a good thing. In
The Colour of Magic and
Mort, the Emperor was an idealistic young boy; however, by
Interesting Times, he had been supplanted by an elderly man who was quite insane (and who is said to have killed his nephew for the throne). During
Interesting Times,
Cohen the Barbarian was declared Emperor, and started changing the system into one a no-nonsense barbarian could feel comfortable with. It was felt by many of the peasantry that he was the "preincarnation" of One Sun Mirror, because Agateans believe in a form of backward
reincarnation in which the soul's next life takes place chronologically earlier than its previous life. Since the events of
The Last Hero, it can be presumed Cohen is no longer Emperor. Details of his replacement are unknown, although it is implied that most of the duties of governance had already been assumed by his Grand Vizier
Twoflower by the time of his intended-to-be death. In the companion book
The Compleat Discworld Atlas, the Empire has been supplanted by the People's Beneficent Republic of Agatea, led by the Chairman of the Central Committee of the People's Revolution Madame Butterfly (possibly Twoflower's daughter and the former leader of the revolutionary Red Army). Bhangbhangduc is a subject island of the
Agatean Empire. The island fulfills the role of
Borneo, in that it is large, covered in jungle, and home to the
orangutan. It is also the site of the death of explorer Sir Roderick Purdeigh, after he yelled at a "native" and jabbed him with his walking stick in an attempt to make him stand up straight and say something other than
"ook". Bhangbhangduc's unusual flora includes the
sledgehammer plant, one of the Disc's carnivorous plants. It appears unusual in the economics of the disc in that Bhangbhangduc uses the Silver Standard to base its money. This is unpopular in other areas who use gold (which does not tarnish). Bhangbhangduc has its own distinct ethnic cuisine, encountered via Feeney Upshot's grandparents in
Snuff. Examples include: •
Bang Suck Duck (swede and chips optional) •
Man Dog Suck Po (with mashed carrots, but only as a Sunday special)
Fourecks EcksEcksEcksEcks or Fourecks (previously known as XXXX or Terror Incognita) is clearly influenced by Australian culture, as seen in
The Last Continent. Like Australia, Fourecks is both a country and a continent. It consists largely of
desert land, which for some time remained unfinished. It was created some time after the rest of the Discworld by the old man who carries the universe in a sack.
Lu-Tze and other sources state that on Fourecks time and space are very twisted up, and there is a big time source right in the middle (probably the Red Rock, the Ecksian version of
Uluru). The continent's name is a play on
Castlemaine XXXX, a
Queensland lager, and advertised there with adverts playing on Australian stereotypes. According to the books, maps used the label "XXXX" because no-one knew what the place was called. Both the flora and fauna of the continent are extremely dangerous, as
Death's Library attests. A book series known as
Dangerous Mammals, Reptiles, Amphibians, Birds, Fish, Jellyfish, Insects, Spiders, Crustaceans, Grasses, Trees, Mosses and Lichens of Terror Incognita extends at least into
Volume 29c Part Three, while a list of the harmless ones contains only "Some of the sheep." There are few poisonous snakes in XXXX, the explanation being that "most of them have been eaten by the spiders". For much of its history, the entire continent was surrounded with a huge
anticyclone which effectively prevented rainclouds from arriving or ships from leaving. This was due to interference by the wizards of
Unseen University while fleeing the bug-obsessed god of evolution during the creation of Fourecks. Shortly before the permanent drought reached catastrophic proportions the anticyclone was dissipated by Rincewind, although, as usual, he received no credit. Many Ecksians have since taken the opportunity to explore the Disc. According to Lu Tze, the relief
barman everywhere now comes from Fourecks. The indigenous population are very similar to
Indigenous Australians, with a strong mythology. Until recently, their main peculiarity was a tendency to attack anyone who talked about the weather. There is also a population of
Ankh-Morporkian settlers, from various shipwrecks. The capital of Fourecks is evidently Bugarup. Other known settlements are Dijabringabeeralong, Cangoolie (a parody of
Kalgoorlie) and Worralorrasurfa. Time and space appear more consistent in these areas. An odd quirk of the Fourecksian government is that they immediately put their politicians in jail as soon as they are elected. According to the locals, "It saves time." Another important feature of the city is the Old Brewery, where Roo Beer
lager is made. It has a huge billboard featuring a grinning kangaroo. The New Brewery is abandoned, because it was built on an "unsacred site" which made the beer flat- a reference to the
Old Swan Brewery of Perth, Western Australia. There is also a local magic college for
wizards. The university's motto is
Nullus Anxietas (no worries). The university is similar in some ways to
Unseen University in
Ankh-Morpork, although rather than an
Tower of Art they have one that is tall at the bottom, but a tall at the top. The Archchancellor is named Bill Rincewind, possibly a relation of
Rincewind, Unseen University's Professor of Cruel and Unusual Geography and trained coward. Bugarup has a regular festival in which female impersonators play a notable part, very similar to the
Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. It is called the Galah, possibly after
a local bird and also a play on "gala"; galah is also Australian slang for someone who is a bit of a fool. Just off the coast of Fourecks are several islands: the Land of Fog or the Foggy Islands, home of the
morporks (a reference to the English translation of
New Zealand's
Māori name
Aotearoa, the Land of the Long White Cloud); and Purdeigh's Island (or Purdeighsland), discovered by the explorer Sir Roderick Purdeigh, who somehow missed the continent itself (in much the same way the Dutch sailor
Abel Tasman managed to do with Australia, but did get to have an island named after him).
Krull The most notable nation to lie on
the Rim (it actually juts slightly over it) is the island kingdom of Krull. The nation's capital is also called Krull (featured in
The Colour of Magic), and a local river is known as the Hakrull River (mentioned in
Mort). Its economy is largely based on the capture and salvage of nautical wreckage as it heads towards the Rimfall. To aid in this, the Krullians constructed the Disc's largest manmade object: the Circumfence, a great net that extends across a third of the Disc's perimeter. Now in disrepair, it is still maintained by the occasional guardian, such as Tethis the sea troll. Due to its unique position, Krull is one of the Disc's main centres of astronomical and astrological learning; indeed until recently, its high priest was also its chief astronomer. Krull possesses a magical University and, unlike the
Unseen University in Ankh-Morpork, the Krullians have no problem educating female wizards. Krullians are noted for their habitual nervousness and fatalism, the product of spending their lives overlooking a bottomless black abyss of infinity. On the Disc, the phrase "being on edge" is a reference to the Krullians. In
The Colour of Magic and
The Last Hero, it has been shown that life does exist over the Rim of the Discworld, whether that be rimfishers (kingfisher specially adapted to living over the rim) or entire islands populated by the survivors of shipwrecks and their possible descendants. ==Lifeforms==